Electrothermostatic regulator.



T. W. POTHERGILL. ELEGTROTHERMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

/ APPLICATION IILED APB. 28, 1901.3. Patented a v I 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 T. .W. POTHBRGILL. ELBGTROTHERMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

' APPLICATION FILED APR. 28 1908. 91 5, i

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v pnrrnn STATES PATENT, onnion.

THEBON W. FOTHERGILL, OF BERLIN MILLS, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO BRADLEY REED, OF BERLIN MILLS, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

ELECTBOTHERMOSTATIG REGULATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 16, 1909.

Application filed April 28, 1908. Serial No. 429,692.

T 0 all whom it may concern. Y

Be it known that I, THEnoN W. FOTHER- GILL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Berlin Mills, in the county of Coos and State of New Hampshire, have invented a new and useful Electrothermostatic Regulator, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to electro thermostatic heat regulators for stoves, furnaces and other heating apparatus and has for its object to provide means for controlling the temperature of buildings and similar structures by automatically regulating the draft controlling means of the heating apparatus.

A further object of the invention is to provide a damper controlling lever operatively connected with an actuating member for tilting the lever to effect the opening movement of the damper, and means for releasing the lever to permit the latter to move the damper to closed position.

A still further object of the invention is generally to improve this class of devices so as to increase their utility, durability and efiiciency.

Further objects and advantages will appear in the following description, it being understood that various changes in form, proportions and minor details of construction may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification: Figure 1 is a front elevation of a heat regulator constructed in accordance with my invention, showing the draft controlling meansin closed position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the damper in open position. Fig. 3 is a side elevation partly in section illustrating a modified form of the invention.

Similar numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all of the figures of the drawings.

The improved mechanism forming the subject matter of the present invention may be used in connection with valves or dampers for controlling the draft of furnace boilers or other heaters or for controlling the delivery of hot air, steam or other heating medium to different rooms of a building, and by way of illustration is shown applied to a furnace of the ordinary construction in which 5 desi nates the draft pipe and 6 the draft control ling means, preferably in the form of a damper pivotally mounted in the pipe, as shown.

Secured to the wall of a building or other suitable support, at a point adjacent the furnace, is a block or supporting member 7 having a bracket 8 secured thereto and insulated therefrom and in which is pivotally mounted for tilting movement a damper actuating lever 9.

One end of the lever 9 is formed with a plurality of openings 10 adapted to receive a rodor chain 1.1, which latter forms a connection between the lever 9 and terminal crank 12 of the damper 6 so that the tilting move ment of the lever will effect the opening or closing of the damper. Disposed above the balance lever 9 is a fluid pressure cylinder 13 provided with a Jiston 14, the lower end of which is pivotal y connected at 15 with a link 16 carried by the balance lever 9. Secured to the up oer end of the cylinder 13 is a pipe 17, which latter leads to and communicates with the interior of a valve casing 18. Disposed within the valve casing 18 is a valve 19 by means of which the passage of fluid to and from the cylinder 13 may be automatically controlled. Disposed on one side of the casing 18 is a pipe 20 which leads to a suitable source of fluid pressure supply, there being a similar pipe 21 threaded in the opposite wall of the casing 18 and constituting an exhaust.

A pipe 22 forms a source of communication between the lower end of the cylinder 13 and the exhaust pipe 21 and through which the fluid in the cylinder 13 is discharged to the exhaust when the piston 14 moves downwardly in the direction of the balance lever 9.

Secured to and movable with the valve 19 is a lever 23 one end of which is provided with a weight 24, while the opposite end thereof is extended longitudinally beyond 7 tro magnet 28 connected in an energized circuit including a battery 29, the armature 27 being so arranged with respect to the electro magnet 28 that when the coils of the latter are energized the armature will be moved to released position so as to permit the weight 24 to move the valve 19 to open position and thus allow the fluid from thepipe 20 to pass through the valve casing and pipe 17 into the cylinder 13 and actuate the balance lever 9 to open the damper 6.

Arranged beneath the actuating lever 9 is an electro magnet 30, the coils of which are also connected in circuit with the battery 29. The armature 31 of the electro magnet 30 is provided with a terminal catch 32 adapted to engage a linger 33 depending from the outer end of the lever 9, when the latter is actuated to open the damper 12, thereby to temporarily lock the damper in open posi tion.

Pivotally mounted. in a bracket 34 is an intermediate portion of trip lever 35, one end of said lever being provided with a weight 36 while the other end thereof is provided with a pendent catch 37, which latter is disposed in the path of movement of the actuating lever 9 so that when said lever is moved in the direction of the armature 31 the terminal 38 of the lever will engage the pendent catch 37 and move said catch downwardly to the full line position, shown in Fig. of the drawings. A stop pin 39 is arranged beneath the pivoted catch 37 for engage ment with the inclined head of said catch thereby to disengage the latter from the ter minal 38 of the lever 9 and thus permit the trip lever 35 to be returned to normal posi tion by the weight 36.

Pivotally mounted at 40 on the member 23 is a weighted arm 41 having its upper end provided with an angular extension 42 which normally bears against a stop pin or screw 43 disposed above the valve casing 18, as shown. Secured in any suitable manner to a bracket or support 44 is a thermostatic bar 45, the free end of which is provided with oppositely disposed contacts 46 and 47 adapted to engage corresponding contacts 48 and 49, the contact 48 being connected through the medium of a wire 50 with the coils of the electro magnet 30, while the contact 49 is connected through the medium of a conductor 51 with the coils of the electro magnet 28.

The actuating lever 9 is provided with suitable blocks of insulating material 52 and disposed. between said blocks is a contact plate 53 adapted to alternately engage corresponding contacts 54 and 55 arranged respectively on opposite sides of the lever 9, the contact 54 being connected through the medium of a conductor 56 with the coils 28 and the contact 55 being connected by a conductor 57 with the coils 30.

The operation of the device is as follows: Under normal conditions the damper is closed and the thermostatic bar 45 disposed between the contacts 48 and 49, the contact 54 being disposed in engagement with the contact 53, as best shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. Should the temperature in the room or building fall below a predetermined degree the bar 45 will be moved laterally into engagement with the contact 49 and thus close the circuit through the wire 51, electro magnet 28, contacts 53 and 54 to the battery 29, thereby actuating the coils 28 to release the armature 27 from engagement with the terminal lip of the arm 23. As soon as the arm 23 is released the weight 24 will operate the valve 19 to GSlZEtbllSlICOlllIllUlllcation between the pipes 20 and 17, thus admitting fluid under pressure to the cylinder 13 and actuating the piston 14 to tilt the lever 9 to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings and open the damper 6. The initial downward movement of the lever 9 will cause the end 38 of the lever to engage the head of the pendent trip 37 and tilt the trip lever 35 downwardly, a further downward movement of the lever 19 causing the finger 33 to engage the head of the armature 31 and thus lock the actuating lever 9 in damper opening position. As the pendent catch 37 is moved downwardly by engagement with the terminal 38 of the lever 9 the inclined face 58 of the pendent catch will engage the stop 39 and force the member 37 laterally so as to move it out of engagement with the terminal 38 of the actuating lever and permit the trip lever to return to normal position. As the pendent end of the trip lever 35 moves upwardly it will engage the adjacent end of the arm 41 and thereby move the valve controlling arm 23 to normal position so as to cut off the flow of fluid to the cylinder 13. As the arm 41 is forced upwardly by engagement with the trip lever 35 the extension 42 of the arm will engage the stop pin 43 and thus throw the long end of the arm 41 laterally from engagement with the trip lever 35. Should the heat of the furnace become excessive the thermostatic bar 45 will engage the contact 48 and close the circuit through the conductor 50, coils 30 and contacts 53 and 55 to the battery 29, thus energizing the coils and operating the armature 31 to release the lever 9. hen the armature 31 is released the weight 60 will tilt the perforated end of the lever 9 thereby to close the damper 6, the several parts being then in the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing and in which position they may be operated to again open the damper 6 when the temperature falls below a predetermined point. Suitable dash pots 61 are preferably connected with the levers 9 and 35 in order to allow the gradual descent of said levers.

In Fig. 3 of the drawings there is illustrated a modified form of the invention especially designed for regulating the pressure in steam boilers, digesters for paper mills and the like. In this form of the device a casing or housing 62 is provided, said casing having one end thereof connected with a source of fluid sup ply and its opposite end provided with a diaphragm 63. The diaphragm is connected with a lever 64 operating between a pair of contacts 65 and 66 leading tothe battery 29.

It will thus be seen that when the pressure inthe steam boiler falls below a predetermined point the lever 64 will engage the contact 65 and close the circuit through the battery 29 to operate a suitable controlling valve and when the pressure is increased beyond a certain point the lever will engage the contact 66 and close the circuit through the battery to open said controlling valve. The diaphragm 63 and lever 64 act as a thermostat and may be used in connection with the damper controlling means shown in Figs. 1 and 2 in place of the thermostat 44, if desired.

From the foregoing description it is thought that the construction and operation of the device will be readily understood by those skilled in the art and further description thereof is deemed unnecessary.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In heat regulating apparatus, a balance lever having one end thereof operatively con nected with a heat controlling means, a fluid pressure cylinder operatively connected with the opposite end of the balance lever, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid to and from the cylinder, a lever secured to the valve, an electro magnetically operated device adapted to engage the valve lever for normally holding the valve in closed position, an electro magnetically operated device for locking the balance lever against tilting movement, a thermostat, and electrical connections between the electro magnets and thermostat.

2. In heat regulating apparatus, a lever having one end thereof operatively connected with a heat controlling means, a fluid pressure cylinder connected with the opposite end of the lever, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid to and from the cylinder, a lever secured to the valve, an electro magnet adapted to engage the end of the valve lever for normally holding the valvein closed position, a weighted arm depending from the valve lever, a tripping device disposed in the path of movement of the balance lever, an electro magnet for locking the balance lever against tilting movement, a thermostat, electrical connections between the electro magnets and thermostat, said tripping device being adapted to engage the weighted arm of the valve lever for automatically returning the valve to closed position.

3. In heat regulating apparatus, a balance lever having one end thereof pivotally con nected with a heat controlling means, a fluid pressure cylinder having a piston connected with the opposite end of the lever, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid to and from the cylinder, a lever secured to and movable with the valve, a weighted arm pivotally mounted on the valve lever, an electro magnet adapted to engage one end of the valve lever for normally holding the valve in closed position, an electro magnet for locking the balance lever against tilting movement, a thermostat, electrical connections between the thermostat and electro magnets, and a tripping device adapted to engage the weighted arm of the valve lever for returning the valve to closed position.

4. In heat regulating apparatus, a balance lever having one end thereof operatively connected with a heat controlling means, a fluid pressure cylinder for actuating the lever, a valve for controlling the passage of fluid to and from the fluid pressure cylinder, a lever secured to the valve, an electro magnet adapted to engage the lever for normally holding the valve in closed position, a weight secured to one end of the valve lever for automatically opening the valve when the electro magnet is deenergized, an electro magnet for locking the balance lever against tilting movement, a thermostat, electrical connections between the thermostat and the electro magnets, and a tripping device adapted to engage the weighted end of the valve lever for automatically closing the valve.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto afliXed my signature Witnesses:

E. F. BAILEY, WALTER WRIGHT. 

